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pumping station Cologne-Rodenkirchen
pumping station Cologne-Rodenkirchen
Uferstraße, Rodenkirchen, Köln, Germany
Project of the Day on Mar 04, 2017
Project Featured on Mar 04, 2017
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pumping station Cologne-Rodenkirchen
Uferstraße, Rodenkirchen, Köln, Germany
Project of the Day on Mar 04, 2017
Project Featured on Mar 04, 2017
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2009
PUMPING-STATION
COLOGNE-RODENKIRCHEN
Dirk Melzer
Landschaftsarchitekt
& Umweltingenieur
in cooperation
with
v-architekten
GmbH, Cologne
Built
landscapes in the floodplains
SITE
The high water pumping
station is situated at the point where the city meets the countryside. A
17-storey block of flats marks the beginning of the city's Rhine embankment.
The pumping station backs onto an alluvial forest in a protected area of
outstanding natural beauty.
TASK
At the time when the
competition was announced, the technical engineering phase of construction had
already been completed. The building itself is around 11 metres below ground
with only around 4 metres visible above ground. The site measures 3.500 m2
in total. The idea of the competition was that it did not appear to be a
building, but a "built" or man-made landscape.
CONCEPT
This effect was achieved by
encircling the town-facing side of the high water pumping station with a curved
wall of basalt. At the same time, on the forest-facing side, long, wooded banks
run into the countryside. In order to enhance the top view of the pumping
station from the neighbouring tower block, the roof was landscaped with dense
greenery and plants.
The curved form of the wall
also allows for the incorporation of a long, sloping ramp that provides vehicle
access to the pumping station roof. The wall "flows around" the
building. The theme of "flowing" is taken up again in the new
cladding around the existing sewage pumping station. The extant building with
its simple brick facade is integrated into the overall concept by enveloping it
with a shimmering, perforated skin of steel plates. The holes in the metal
plates create an impression of washed up drift-wood frequently found in the
area.
EXECUTION
METAL CLADDING
The pattern of the metal
cladding is created by the intertwining arrangement of individual rectangles of
equal length but three different widths. In an additional work step, the
rectangles are welded together at their points of intersection. The pattern was
not created using a random generator, but a drawing programme where each
individual rectangle is arranged according to formal, structural and static
considerations. After that, the total circumference of the cladding was
calculated. Subsequently, the design is seamed together into an endless loop.
The steel plates are held in place via a substructure of steel profiles. In the
space between the metal facade and the outer walls of the building, simple
staircases provide access to the building for maintenance and inspection
purposes.
BASALT FACADE
In the construction of the
natural stone wall, basalt was used, as is traditional in embankment construction
in Cologne. Normally, columnar basalt is used. But since this is not suitable
for curved masonry work, basaltic lava was chosen instead. Quarried basaltic
lava is a byproduct from the production of road metal, extracted during the
first run-through through the crusher and sieve. Elongated and loaf-shaped
stones are hand-sorted directly during quarrying. Since the basalt wall is a
heavy-duty wall, the best quality stones are used for the visible walling.
Lower grade stones were used for the bulk construction.
COLOGNE-RODENKIRCHEN
Dirk Melzer
Landschaftsarchitekt
& Umweltingenieur
in cooperation
with
v-architekten
GmbH, Cologne
Built
landscapes in the floodplains
SITE
The high water pumping
station is situated at the point where the city meets the countryside. A
17-storey block of flats marks the beginning of the city's Rhine embankment.
The pumping station backs onto an alluvial forest in a protected area of
outstanding natural beauty.
TASK
At the time when the
competition was announced, the technical engineering phase of construction had
already been completed. The building itself is around 11 metres below ground
with only around 4 metres visible above ground. The site measures 3.500 m2
in total. The idea of the competition was that it did not appear to be a
building, but a "built" or man-made landscape.
CONCEPT
This effect was achieved by
encircling the town-facing side of the high water pumping station with a curved
wall of basalt. At the same time, on the forest-facing side, long, wooded banks
run into the countryside. In order to enhance the top view of the pumping
station from the neighbouring tower block, the roof was landscaped with dense
greenery and plants.
The curved form of the wall
also allows for the incorporation of a long, sloping ramp that provides vehicle
access to the pumping station roof. The wall "flows around" the
building. The theme of "flowing" is taken up again in the new
cladding around the existing sewage pumping station. The extant building with
its simple brick facade is integrated into the overall concept by enveloping it
with a shimmering, perforated skin of steel plates. The holes in the metal
plates create an impression of washed up drift-wood frequently found in the
area.
EXECUTION
METAL CLADDING
The pattern of the metal
cladding is created by the intertwining arrangement of individual rectangles of
equal length but three different widths. In an additional work step, the
rectangles are welded together at their points of intersection. The pattern was
not created using a random generator, but a drawing programme where each
individual rectangle is arranged according to formal, structural and static
considerations. After that, the total circumference of the cladding was
calculated. Subsequently, the design is seamed together into an endless loop.
The steel plates are held in place via a substructure of steel profiles. In the
space between the metal facade and the outer walls of the building, simple
staircases provide access to the building for maintenance and inspection
purposes.
BASALT FACADE
In the construction of the
natural stone wall, basalt was used, as is traditional in embankment construction
in Cologne. Normally, columnar basalt is used. But since this is not suitable
for curved masonry work, basaltic lava was chosen instead. Quarried basaltic
lava is a byproduct from the production of road metal, extracted during the
first run-through through the crusher and sieve. Elongated and loaf-shaped
stones are hand-sorted directly during quarrying. Since the basalt wall is a
heavy-duty wall, the best quality stones are used for the visible walling.
Lower grade stones were used for the bulk construction.
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